WASHINGTON — The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC), the business voice of the LGBT community, in collaboration with its partners in the National Business Inclusion Consortium (NBIC), has named the second annual Best-of-the-Best list of corporations in America committed to diversity and inclusion across all communities.
“The Best-of-the-Best designation is the top corporate honor bestowed for commitments to America’s diverse employees and business owners, which includes LGBT, people of color, women, and people with disabilities. This designation is not easily earned, making it all the more prized,” said NGLCC Co-Founder and President Justin Nelson. “We have already seen the bar rise for corporate inclusion since last year’s inaugural list was named. By recognizing these industry leaders and the policymakers who collaborate with them as the ‘Best-of-the-Best’, we are further shaping a better future for all diverse communities in business. Together we reaffirm our common, ongoing mission to improve business inclusion among Fortune 500 corporations and government agencies across America.”
NGLCC formed the National Business Inclusion Consortium in 2011, and its members represent a total of over $9 trillion in annual economic strength along with significant contributions to the marketplace and workplace. Only companies achieving industry leading results across all diverse segments are eligible to receive the prestigious Best-of-the-Best designation from the NBIC, whose members include the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC); U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC); U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC); U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAAC); U.S. Business Leadership Network (USBLN); Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC); and WEConnect International.
Criteria required to be named a 2017 Best-of-the-Best corporation includes the completion of a detailed survey of an organization’s inclusive programs, which may involve Supplier Diversity initiatives, Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and workplace engagement opportunities, and diverse marketplace and community engagements. Additionally, a detailed report of policies and achievements in the diversity and inclusion space–along with recognition or ratings such as the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, the U.S. Business Leadership Network’s Disability Equality Index, or Diversity Inc.’s Top 50— is weighted and reviewed by a committee of NBIC leaders.
The 2017 Best-of-the-Best Corporations for Inclusion are:
Accenture
Allstate Insurance Company
American Airlines
Apple
AT&T
Bank of America
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Capital One
Chevron
Comcast NBCUniversal
Corning
Cummins Inc.
CVS Health
Delhaize America
DuPont
EY
Fannie Mae
Fidelity Investments
Freddie Mac
General Motors
GlaxoSmithKline
Health Care Service Corporation
Hilton
IBM
Intel Corporation
JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Kellogg Company
KeyBank
KPMG
Marriott International
Merck
Nationwide
New York Life Insurance
Northrop Grumman
Pfizer
Pacific Gas & Electric Company
PNC Financial Services Group
Prudential
Sodexo
Southwest Airlines Co.
SunTrust Bank
TD Bank
TIAA
UPS
Wells Fargo
The 2017 Best-of-the-Best Program or Initiative of the Year is: Wells Fargo’s Chamber Training Institute.
The announcement of those honored with the Best-of-the-Best designation was made at the second annual Best-of-the-Best Awards Gala held at The Mayflower Hotel on April 26, 2017. Bank of America, a Best-of-the-Best corporation, was the evening’s presenting sponsor. Advocacy honorees included The Honorable Linda Sanchez, Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus; entrepreneur and LGBT advocate Lisa Vanderpump; and model and advocate for the deaf community Nyle DiMarco. Washington Post columnist & MSNBC contributor Jonathan Capehart served as Master of Ceremonies; Eric Ulloa of Broadway’s On Your Feet sang the National Anthem. Actress, performer, and activist Whoopi Goldberg sent a congratulatory message and shared her commitment to promoting diversity.
“When a company’s competitors see them listed as a Best-of-the-Best company, they will immediately move to innovate toward greater diversity & inclusion. Being the Best-of-the-Best means pushing one another to keep innovating the ways we do business to be more inclusive and successful than ever,” says NGLCC Co-Founder and CEO Chance Mitchell. “Each year that we get back together to celebrate the Best-of-the-Best we will undoubtedly see more and more companies achieve unprecedented excellence in support of their diverse employees and suppliers. Diversity and inclusion are good for competition; and that’s good for business.”
